Jim Anderson’s 1901 Victorian cottage on Lower Swiss Avenue calls for an old-fashioned Christmas. His collection of antique European ornaments hanging from a rare German feather tree fits right in with the home’s creaky floorboards, paneled walls and oil-lamp fixtures.

Last year Jim Anderson, recently retired from the city of Dallas' preservation department, branched out when he discovered an antique feather tree that dates back at least 80 years, he says.

The trees, made of goose biot feathers (also used in fly fishing), were invented by German farmers in the 1880s as the first artificial Christmas trees, says Anderson. At the time, there was concern there about deforestation to supply the demand for live Christmas trees.

The feathers are split in half down the quill and carefully wrapped along a piece of wire so that the fibers fan out, resembling pine needles.